Advertising sign



Dec. 16, 1941. J. CARTER ADVERTISING SIGN Filed June '7, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVENTR Josep/1 Carfer Bv.- [W im@ ATTORNEY Dec. 16,1941. J, CARTER 2,266,676

ADVERTISING SIGN Filed June 7, 194C 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Josep/1 Carer BY-o ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1941 ADVERTISING SIGN Joseph Carter, Vansouver, British Columbia,

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Application June 7, 1940, Serial No. 339,361

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved advertising sign.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an advertising device capable of consecutively displaying a comparatively large number of different signs without being of undue dimensions.

Another object is the provision of a constantly changing display sign which may be constructed in any size from a small indoor display device to a large outdoor sign.

A further object is the provision of an advertising device having a plurality of relatively narrow panels which are consecutively exposed to view in certain combinations, each combination of panels bearing a different sign or advertising material.

A further object is the provision of a device of the character described having a comparatively simple operating mechanism.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists essentially of an advertising sign comprising a housing with a display opening therein, a plurality of endless belts arranged side by side in the housing each having a plurality of panels hingedly connected together, means for simultaneously retaining one panel of each belt in the opening, each set of panels appearing simultaneously in the Aopening having a co-operating indicia thereon formingasign,means for consecutively moving each panel of the belts into the opening, and means for synchronizing thisV movement whereby each panel always appears in the opening with the same panels of the other belts to form a sign, as more fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the sign, Y

Figure 2 is a plan view with part of the casing broken away to show the interior thereof,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the operating mechanism,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a view of the outer surface of a few of the panels, some of which are broken away to show the hinge connections thereof,

Figure 'l is a view of the inner surface of a few panels, illustrating an alternative method of connecting them together, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary detail of two alter` native panels.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

lil is a housing having a display opening II in the front thereof, a suitable border or frame I2 around said l opening, and a casing I3 on the top of the housing behind the border or frame; The opening II is adapted to be removably closed by a plurality of display panels I4 arranged side by side in either horizontal or vertical relationship, the latter only being illustrated in the drawings.

Each panel I4 is independent of the other panels simultaneously appearing in the opening II but it is one of a plurality of similar panels mounted on an endless belt or forming an endless belt I5 extending rearwardly from the display opening in the housing Ill. In other words, there are a plurality of belts I5 mounted in the housing I0 each having a plurality of panels I4 adapted to be moved successively into a position where they may be seen through the' opening II and these belts are synchronized so that each display panel is always moved into the display opening with the same panel of the other belts. With this arrangement, suitable indicia may be printed or painted on each set of panels making it possible to display a plurality of different signs or notices through the opening I I. A set of panels includes all the panels which appear simultaneously in the display opening.

Since each belt I5 is mounted and operated in the same manner, only one will now be described in detail for the sake of clarity.

The endless belt I5 extends around spaced front and rear triangularly shaped bars I6 and Il, respectively, hereinafter referred to as triangles. The front triangle I6 is a driven triangle flxediy mounted on a vertical and rotatable shaft I8 extending therethrough centrally thereof. The lower end of the shaft I8 is seated in a suitable bearing 2B located in the bottom of the housing I while the upper end of said shaft extends through the top of the housing into the casing I3. The rear triangle Il is an idler triangle xedly mounted on a shaft I8 on the lower end of which is seated in a bearing 20 and the upper end of this idler shaft is positioned in a similar bearing in the top of the housing I0.

The width and length of each side of the triangles I6 and I 'I is approximately the same as the corresponding dimensions of the panels IG. These panels are hingedly or pivotally connected together in any suitable manner as long as they fit close together and are able to swing around the front and rear triangles without binding. In Figure 6, the panels are connected together by straps 2| having hinges 22 at each end thereof. Each panel is preferably provided 0n its nner surface with straps adjacent the top and bottom thereof while the straps of one panel are staggered in relation to those of the panels on either side thereof so that the adjacent hinges of the straps of neighbouring panels may be joined together by pintles 23. In the alternative of Figure '1, the panels are joined together by what are commonly known as piano hinges 24 which extend from the top to the bottom of the panels. Each panel I4 is provided with one or more rollers 25 at its lower .edge which support it above the bottom of the casing Il).

As stated above, the shaft I8 of the front triangle I6 extends through and beyond the top of the housing It. A disc 2t mounted upon the uper end of this shaft, is provided with three equally spaced pins 21 projecting upwardly therefrom, and a roller 28 rotatably mounted on the inner or free end oi an arm 3B, partially overlaps the disc 26 and normally rests against two of the pins 21, the diameter of the roller being greater than the distance between any two of these pins. The outer end of the arm 30 is pivotally mounted at SI on the top of the housing It and this pivot is spaced outwardly from and to one side of the disc 26 so that the arm actually lies at an angle or a tangent to said disc while a spring 32 constantly urges the free end of the arm and the roller 28 towards the disc. With this arrangement, the free end of the arm 3i) is pivoted away from the disc by one of the pins 21 when the disc is rotated until'the pin passes the centre line of the axes of the disc and the roller 28, after which the spring 32 urges said roller back into the space between the next two pins. The roller normally holds the disc stationary and the spring 32 is sufficiently strong to make it necessary to apply considerable eifort or pressure on said disc in order to rotate it.

It will be seen in Figure 2 that the discs 26 are arranged in a row within the casing I3 adjacent the front of the device. A bar 33 located behind and adjacent all the discs 2S, is mounted in vertical and horizontal roller bearings 34 and 35, respectively, and is adapted to be reciprocated in any suitable manner, such as by a crank disc 33 which is rotated by a motor 31 and connected to said bar by a pitman 33. A plurality of pawls 40, one for each disc 2%, are pivotally mounted at their inner ends upon the bar 33 and are urged outwardly from the bar adjacent their free ends by springs 4I. Each pawl has a recess 42 in its outer or free end forming a finger 43 and a shoulder 44 at the inner end of said recess. When a roller 28 rests against two pins 21 of the adjacent disc 2S, the third pin of said disc is located adjacent the reciprocating bar 33 and this pin is engaged by the shoulder 44 of the adjacent pawl 4d. The spring 4I urges the pawl into engagement with the pin 21 and the finger 43 limits the outward movement of said pawl by bearing against the pin. When the bar 33 is moved to the left, see Figure 4, each pawl, owing to the pressure of its spring 4I, presses against the pin 21 in its recess 42 and causes the disc 26 to rotate until said pin engages the roller 2t. In Figure 4, the position of the left hand pawl at the end of this movement is shown in broken lines. During the movement, another of the pins 21 has moved from one side to the other of the roller 28 while the third pin has moved to a position adjacent the bar 33. When the bar 33 is moved to the right, the pawl rides over the last-mentioned pin 21 until the latter is engaged by the shoulder 44,

at which time this action may be repeated. As all the pawls 40 are moved together by the bar 33, all the discs 26 and, consequently, the front triangles I6 therebeneath rotate intermittently in unison and they move through a third of a turn during each complete reciprocation ofthe bar.

The display opening II may be either directly or indirectly illuminated in any suitable manner, such as, for example, by a lightning tube 45 1o cated at the bottom of the opening, said tube preferably having a shield 46 out-side thereof.

Each panel I4 is adapted to be moved into registry with the display opening II simultaneously with the same panels of the other belts I5 so that the indicia comprising each sign or notice is printed or otherwise applied to a set of panels, all of which arrive at the display opening at the same time. If desired, all or some of the panels I4 may be provided with means for removably retaining one or more cards 41 bearing suitable indicia. In Figure 8, the cards 41 are removably held in place by guides 48 punched out of or secured to the panels.

In operation, the motor 31 reciprocates the bar 33 at a desired speed, which, in turn, rotates the front triangles I6 successively to present the panels I4 through the display opening II. Each time the triangles make a third of a turn, new panels are seen through the opening so that a plurality of 'different signs may be displayed. At rst each sign appears to be a plurality of sections which come together to form the complete sign and then it disappears in a plurality of sections again. The bar 33 and the pawls 40 give the front triangles a positive turn each time the bar moves to the right (Figures 2 and 4) while the rollers 28 retain said triangles stationary during the remainder of the time. In this way, each sign is quickly changed and is positively held in position during its stay in the display opening.

From the above it will readily be seen that an advertising device has been provided which is capable of consecutively displaying a comparatively large number of different signs without being of undue dimensions.

Various modifications may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the claims and, therefore, the exact forms shown are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense, and it is desired that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are disclosed in the prior art or set forth in the accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. An advertising sign comprising a housing with a display opening therein, a plurality of endless belts arranged side by side in the housing each having a plurality of panels hingedly connected together, spaced front and rear triangles around which each belt extends, the sides of the triangles being approximately the same width as the panels, a disc connected to an end of one of the triangles of each set of front and rear triangles, a plurality of pins projecting outwardly from each disc, rollers mounted adjacent the discs, the diameters of said rollers being longer than the distance between the pins of each disc, spring means normally urging each roller between two oi the pins of the adjacent disc removably to retain said disc stationary, a bar mounted adjacent the discs, means for reciprocating the bar, and means mounted on the bar for engaging one of the pins of each disc to rotate the latter when the bar is moved in one direction, said means being adapted to disengage the pins when the bar is moved in the opposite direction.

2. An advertising sign comprising a housing with a display opening therein, a plurality of endless belts arranged side by side in the housing each having a plurality of panels hingedly connected together, spaced front and rear triangles around which each belt extends, the sides of the triangles being approximately the same width as the panels, a disc connected to an end of one of the triangles of each set of front and rear triangles, a plurality of pins projecting outwardly from each disc, an arm pivotally mounted at one end adjacent each disc and lying at a tangent thereto, rollers mounted on the :free ends of the arms adapted to overlap the discs, the diameters of said rollers being longer than the distance between the pins of each disc, springs normally urging the free ends of the arms and their rollers towards the discs to press each roller between two of the pins of the adjacent disc removably to retain the discs stationary, a bar mounted adjacent the discs, means for reciprocating the bar, pawls pivotally mounted on said bar, and spring means normally urging each pawl into engagement with a pin of the adjacent disc to rotate the latter when the bar is moved in one direction, said pawls being adapted to pivot to disengage the pins when the bar is moved in the opposite direction.

3. An advertising sign comprising a housing with a display opening therein, a plurality of endless belts arranged side by side in the housing each having a plurality of panels hingedly connected together, spaced front and rear triangles around which `each belt extends, the sides of the triangles being approximately the same width as the panels, a disc connected to an end of one of the triangles of each set of front and rear triangles, a plurality of pins projecting outwardly from each disc, a single roller mounted adjacent each disc, the diameter of said roller being longer than the distance between any two pins of a disc, means normally urging each roller between two pins of the adjacent disc removably to retain the discs stationary, and means for intermittently moving the triangles in unison to bring the next panel of each belt into the opening.

4. An advertising sign comprising a housing with a display opening therein, a plurality of endless belts arranged side by side `in the housing each having a plurality of panels hingedly connected together, spaced front and rear triangles around which each belt extends, the sides of the triangles being approximately the same width as the panels, a disc connected to an end of one of the triangles of each set of front and rear triangles, a plurality of pins projecting outwardly from each disc, an arm pivotally mounted at one end adjacent each disc and lying at a tangent thereto, a roller mounted on the free end of each arm adapted to overlap the disc, the diameter of said roller being longer than the distance between any two pins of a disc, a spring normally urging the free `end of each arm and its roller towards the adjacent disc to press said roller between two of its pins removably to retain the discs stationary, and means for intermittently moving the triangles in unison to bring the next panel of each belt into the opening.

5. An advertising sign comprising a housing with a display opening therein, a, plurality of endless belts arranged side by side in the housing each having a plurality of panels hingedly connected together, spaced front and rear triangles around which each belt extends, the sides of the triangles being approximately the same width as the panels, a disc connected to an end of one of the triangles of each set of front and rear triangles, a plurality of pins projecting outwardly from each disc, means for removably retaining said discs and their1 triangles stationary with a panel of each belt in the display opening, a bar mounted adjacent the discs of the triangles, means for reciprocating the bar, a pawl pivotally mounted on the bar adjacent each disc, and spring means normally urging each pawl into engagement with a pin of the adjacent disc to rotate the latter when the bar is moved in one direction, said pawls pivoting to disengage the pins of the disc when the bar is moved in the opposite direction.

JOSEPH CARTER. 

